Raimondo Montecuccoli

Raimondo Montecuccoli (21 February 1609-16 October 1680) was the Duke of Melfi and a general/prince of the Holy Roman Empire. He fought in the Thirty Years' War for the Austrians.

Biography
Montecuccoli was born near Modena to a Burgundian family, and in 1625 served as a mercenary under his uncle Ernest Montecuccoli. Montecuccoli and his uncle fought for the Holy Roman Empire during the Thirty Years' War, and he was captured after the First Battle of Breitenfeld in 1631. He was released on parole and in 1632 he fought in the Battle of Lutzen, where he was wounded. After the First Battle of Nordlingen he was made a Colonel, and was captured again in 1639.

While in captivity he studied Euclid's geometry, Tacitus' history, and Vitruvius' architecture, all while learning about the art of war. He returned to Modena in 1642, fighting in the Wars of Castro for Modena and Castro against the Papal States. A year later he became a Lieutenant-Field Marshal of the Holy Roman Empire and he saved the Catholic forces from annihilation in the Battle of Zusmarshausen in 1648.

After the end of the war he fought for the Austrians in the Second Northern War against Sweden, aiding the Danish and Polish forces who struggled from 1655 to 1660. He returned to his sovereign afterwards and from 1661 to 1664 he fought against the invading Ottoman Empire. But when France invaded the United Provinces, he commanded Dutch forces and encountered his old Zusmarshausen rival, Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, the Viscount de Turenne. In the Battle of Salzbach in 1675 his army was victorious and Turenne was killed by one of the first shots of the engagement. His last battle was the Siege of Philippsburg, and he retired soon after.

In 1679 he was made a Prince of the Holy Roman Empire and was made the Duke of Melfi by Spain. He died in 1680 in an accident in Melfi.